


Date Night

by leighwrites



Series: Leigh's Request Time [2]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M, Not Beta Read, another tumblr request, because i'm a fluffy person, fluffy-fluffs, this time Stenbrough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 06:19:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14562756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leighwrites/pseuds/leighwrites
Summary: A bonus side-chapter for "Not A Monster" prompted by a request by a friend for some Stenbrough.





	Date Night

 

Living in a closed minded town such as Derry did not leave a same-sex couple much choice in dates, and Stan absolutely hated it. He could not, no matter how hard he tried, understand just how what he felt for Bill was _wrong_ , but according to ninety-percent of Derry that’s exactly what it was.

Not that he let that bother him.

The small ten percent of people who didn’t care about who he was attracted to were the only ones that mattered, so they were the only ones he ever needed to talk to about it.

Though sometimes he wondered how Richie and Eddie made it through an entire school day without touching each other or kissing, because sometimes Stan wanted nothing more than to be able to hold Bill’s hand walking to classes like he saw other couples do.

“It’s all about discretion, Staniel!” Richie had said one day when Stan had asked him about it.

They were standing on the bleachers of the football field, Richie sitting on the bar of the fence that lined the top of them with a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he watched the football team training.

“You just gotta…” Richie shifted the cigarette to corner of his mouth, far away from Stan. “Okay so like, you’re in the cafeteria sitting together at the table, yeah? And it’s perfectly normal and okay to do that because _friends sit together_ so you just gotta slide your hand under the table and rest it on theirs, or on a leg. Discretion, Stan my man! You have to find the little things you can do in-between the moments you can ravage either other!”

“Do you have to be gross about this?”

Richie raised his hands in defence while simultaneously taking a long drag of his cigarette. “Okay, okay, sorry. But seriously, it helps. Especially in this backwards fucking close minded town.”

“Yeah… so… what about…” Stan paused, seeming unable to say the word, his attention still fixed on the field where Mike had just performed the most brutal tackle he’d ever seen him do.

The person on the receiving end of the tackle, Charlie, was limping off the field while laughing and giving Mike a thumbs up to assure him that he was okay.

Richie cocked a brow, removing the cigarette from his mouth and delicately tapping a single finger against it to remove the excess ash from the tip. “Dates, Staniel? Well… let me tell you, that one was the hard part for a while but… movie theatres are pretty dark, you know?”

Stan glanced to Richie, arching a brow. “If you make this disgusting –”

Richie chuckled, placing his hands onto the bar either side of his legs before sliding off. “ _Staniel_.” He stressed, pressing his hand to Stan’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “They’re dark and people can’t see if you sit too close if you’re in the right place, or if you’re holding hands. It’s the ideal secret date.”

“You didn’t make it disgusting. I’m impressed.”

Richie took a bow. “You’re welcome Staniel! Cleaned it up just for your sensitive little ears, I did!”

Stan shoved Richie who let out a chuckle before he started his descent down the bleachers, long legs making the step across each bench easy.

Didn’t he know how to use stairs?

Friday nights had quickly become Bill and Stan’s date nights.

They would eat dinner at home and then spin some lie about studying or hanging out with the whole group before heading into the main part of town to the movie theatre to see whatever movie was currently playing; not that they ever paid much attention to it.

This Friday, however, was different.

With their upcoming senior exams a couple of weeks away, Stan was pretty much on lockdown because of his parents, studying late into the night to try and retain some kind of information, which put a large dent in what little time he was actually able to spend with Bill.

He hated it.

It was around one in the morning when a noise at the window startled Stan, who had been sitting on his bed surrounded by an array of text books.

“H-how the fuck does Ruh-Richie do this?”

Stan couldn’t help the smile that came to his mouth, dropping his pen onto his notebook as he looked up at the open window. “Are you kidding me, Bill? We all know Richie built like a damn spider.”

There was a grumble outside on the garage roof that stretched out under his window, and then Bill was there, slinging one leg into the room. Stan raised a brow as he caught sight Bill, half in his bedroom window with a paper bag hanging from his mouth from the local fast food place, complete with a drink in each hand.

“Do you –”

Bill shook his head before Stan could finish. “Igotit.”

Finally managing to plan his foot onto Stan’s floor, Bill steadied himself and swung his other leg into the room, twisting his body as he did so he _didn’t_ somehow manage to topple back out of the window.

Once safely inside Stan’s room, Bill stood and crossed the space between the window and the bed, holding one of the drinks out to him. Stan took the Styrofoam cup from Bill, allowing him to remove the paper bag from his mouth.

“Eh-Eddie said you’ve been driving yourself insane studying until two in the morning.” Bill said, nudging some of Stan’s books aside with his knee and taking a seat on the bed. “I thought I’d come keep you company since it _is_ technically our date night.”

“And this?” Stan asked, shaking the cup.

“One struh-strawberry milkshake.” Bill dropped the bag onto Stan’s open history book. “And food because I’m pretty sure you keep forgetting to eat when you’re in study mode.”

Stan smiled, and Bill saw the all too familiar fond look that Stan gave him at times like this; when Bill showed just how well he knew him because he was so damn _attuned_ to him after all these years.

“Thanks Bill.”

Bill returned the smile with a grin. “Nuh-no problem. Now take a break and eat before I fuh-force feed you.”

“Alright, fine, I’ll take a break.” Stan chuckled, closing his notebook and moving it to the side while Bill opened the bag to distribute the food between them.

They were silent while they ate. Stan hated the sound of someone eating and talking at the same time, something he often berated Richie for doing, and was thankful that Bill wasn’t like him. Bill chewed slowly and carefully, looking down at the open text book that was upside down in front of him.

He swallowed, taking a quick sip of his own milkshake before glancing up at Stan. “So do you reh-reh-really need six books open at once?”

Stan shrugged, balling up the wrapper that had been around his burger before tossing it into empty paper bag. “Probably not, but I take breaks from one thing and study another for a while. It helps information from the previous thing sink in better… or so I’m told.”

“Suh-sounds like something Ruh-Richie would tell someone.” Bill commented, scrunching up his own wrapper and dropping it into the bag. “I miss our night, you know.”

“Me too, Bill.” Stan sighed, adjusting his position slightly.

Hunching over the books had really done a number on him, and he supposed it was his own fault for locking himself in his room between the hours of four and two while he killed his brain with his studies.

“Tha-that’s why I came over. That and tuh-to make sure you’re actually eating.”

Bill saw the fond look return to Stan’s face before he spoke. “I appreciate it, a lot, though I’m surprised you didn’t do it sooner.”

“Duh-didn’t wanna bother you. I know this is important.”

Stan frowned, his brows furrowing before he leaned over to place his drink onto the nightstand next to his alarm clock. “You know, Bill, you’re hardly Richie who is loud and distracting. You could have come over at any time. Just because I’m on lockdown doesn’t mean I can’t have study partners, or did Eddie neglect to mention that since he was here just two days ago?”

Bill snorted, leaning back on the bed. “Eh-Eddie’s brain is either oh-on stuh-studying or Ruh-Richie.”

Stan chuckled, reaching over and starting to close his textbooks. “True. It’s a little worrying sometimes.”

“Yeah it – what are you doing?”

“Getting rid of these books.” Stan said as though it were obvious, stacking the books one by one into arms as he closed them. “They’re all over the place if you didn’t notice.”

“Yuh-you don’t need to stop juh-just cause I’m here.”

Stan smiled, leaning over the bed to place the books onto the floor. “I want to. I’ve been studying for hours, Bill, and it’s rude to ignore a guest unless that guest is Richie.”

“He been annoying you again?”

Stan rolled his eyes, dropping onto the bed with his head in Bill’s lap. “He’s loud and hasn’t mastered to art of sneaking into my window. He kind of just… topples in every damn day.”

Bill smiled, reaching out and running his fingers through Stan’s hair. “He’s coming over here a lot?”

Stan nodded, rolling onto his back to look up at Bill. “Eddie is getting a little testy. Everyone is, actually. Richie said that Eddie’s been getting snappy at him more than usual and that Jess and Lucille had an argument one night because they’re so tense. I hate finals.”

Bill’s other hand joined the first on Stan’s hair, and Bill enjoyed the way Stan relaxed under his touch, a small content smile on his face as his eyes closed. “You don’t seem testy.”

Stan chuckled sleepily. “It’s probably because I’ve been avoiding everyone during my study hours.”

“Except Ruh-Richie.” Bill said, amusement in his voice.

“He breaks into my room Bill!” Stan practically whined, throwing his arms up into the air. “He wakes me up and then topples into the room! He paces around like some kind of malevolent gremlin and vents! Then he topples back out of the room!”

“Huh-how has he _not_ broken a leg?”

“I don’t know, but next time he comes into this room after midnight I’m breaking one for him. He’s taking advantage of this warmth forcing me to keep my window open.” Stan huffed, dropping his hands to his stomach. “I hate it.”

Bill smiled and leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to the tip of Stan’s nose. “I’m guh-gonna get you a fuh-fan so you can lock your window at night.”

“I’d like that… a lot.”

“Okay, so we’ll get you a fan.” Bill said, pressing another kiss to Stan’s nose.

“Thanks Bill.” Stan said, shifting to lie more comfortably on the bed. “You know, this isn’t our usual Date Night but… I’m really enjoying it.”

“Muh-me too Stan.”

“Stay?”

Bill smiled again, moving to awkwardly kiss Stan in their position. “Shu-sure thing. I’ll stay.”


End file.
